LOCAL DENTIST, GLOBAL MISSION

Anatoliy Ravin Keeps Seeking Ways To Offer Care To Those In Need

For dentist Anatoliy Ravin, the wish to take care of as many patients as possible has turned into more of a struggle than he expected. During a rare break in his week comprised of 12-hour work days, Ravin recently stopped for a quick breakfast with his 12-year-old son, Matthew, as the two prepared for a long-awaited vacation. Even in the midst of the summer plans, Ravin’s mind was on his work, looking for ways to offer dental care to everyone, even if the funds come out of his own wallet.

Ravin wondered aloud why there is not a mandate requiring every dentist in the state to provide one day of free dental care annually. “Think of all the people we could help if everyone opened up for just one day,” Ravin said.

It’s just one idea of many he has come up with in his 18 years as the owner of Hospital Dental Group in Hartford, Ravin said. “I could talk about this problem all day,” he said in his softly accented voice.

When Ravin moved from St. Petersburg, Russia, to a small town in Massachusetts in 1991 at age 20, he had no desire to work in the dentistry field. But with deep family roots in the

medical profession, there was “no other choice,” he said. Starting with his first job in the U.S. as a busboy, he paved the way to an education at New York University and started running his Hartford office in 2000.

While he has grown to enjoy his work, he is constantly scavenging for more ways to offer his services to others.

However, he and his business often face roadblocks when trying to offer dental work pro bono because of legal restraints. “It sucks that we can’t do as much as we want here,” Ravin said.

With concerns about insurance guidelines and a fear of possible lawsuits,

CLOE POISSON | CPOISSON@COURANT.COM DR. ANATOLIY RAVIN, a Hartford dentist, fist bumps longtime patient Linda Schwartz, former state commissioner of Veterans Affairs, at his Hartford office. Ravin volunteers to do dental work at the House of Bread in Hartford and the Connecticut Veterans Home and Hospital’s annual Stand Down event in Rocky Hill, as well as in countries like Peru and Jamaica.

DR. ANATOLIY RAVIN, left, discusses treatment with patient Erald Meshini ofWethersfield. Ravin’s exam rooms are decorated with photos of people he hashelped around the globe.